Only Happy When It Rains
by Queen Kakia
Summary: Slash. Gaia takes a walk in the rain. Set after book 12.


TITLE: Only Happy When It Rains  
AUTHOR: Queen Kakia, KakiaGuerin@aol.com  
RATING: PG-13  
SPOILERS: It's set right after book 12.  
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. The characters are Francine Pascal's, and the title is Garbage's.  
NOTE: Okay, the flames are getting annoying. It's not like there's no slash warning. _Please_, only flame me if you don't like my writing--_not_ if you think I'm sick (by the way, if you do, you're in _heavy_ denial). Oh, and also--it switches POVs every paragraph. Don't get dizzy.  
  
  
The rain was pounding on her head. Gaia was soaked to her underwear, and had been shivering nonstop for the last five minutes. She'd only finally decided to go home now. It had taken a long time to convince herself that maybe getting hypothermia and dying was worse than going home and facing George without Ella. It wasn't like he knew she was dead, or that he would suspect her if he knew. It wasn't even her fault.  
  
Heather stretched out on the bench. When was the damn rain going to end? Not that she wasn't dry by now, but she was still uneasy. She had never liked thunderstorms. They'd terrified her since she was little and lived out in the country. Every time a storm came, her sisters would go out onto the porch to watch, and she would hide in the basement.  
  
Sam had left as soon as the rain had started. At first, he'd insisted on taking Gaia home, but she wouldn't go, so he'd left her there alone. Like a true gentleman. He was such a dope. She wondered why she loved him.  
  
Heather sat up, picked her feet up onto the bench, and hugged her knees. She hadn't sat like that in a public place since she'd been a small child, but she felt like a child now. Who would see her?  
  
Gaia looked ahead, and noticed a small gazebo-type structure in the distance. She smiled to herself. Salvation.  
  
She'd thought too soon, Heather realized, as she saw the figure approaching. Quickly, she put her feet down on the floor and crossed her legs, even though she had plenty of time until the person reached.  
  
A bolt of lightning hit the over Gaia. She flinched--not because she was scared, of course, but because it was a reflex. Goddamn rain.  
  
Heather recognized the figure. Damn it. Did Gaia haunt her or something? That...mutant brought horror wherever she went. Why couldn't she leave Heather alone?  
  
Gaia reached it a minute later, barely panting. At once, she realized that she wasn't alone. Heather Gannis, Bitch Queen, had beaten her there. Heather narowed her eyes, and Gaia glared back. "Oops, I must have made a wrong turn."  
  
Because that hurt _oh_ so much. Like she was about to cry. "Don't let me stop you from leaving," Heather replied icily.  
  
Bitch. To spite her, Gaia sat down next to her. They were so close together that their thighs almost touched, but if it made Heather miserable, she'd suffer. "Don't worry, you're not."  
  
Heather scowled. Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, accompanied by an ear-splitting clap of thunder. Every muscle in Heather's body tightened.  
  
Gaia had a revelation. "You're afraid of thunderstorms," she stated dumbly. It wasn't a judgement, just an observation. She already had enough judgements on Heather. In fact, it was fascinating, in a way.  
  
"What if I am?" Heather challenged. Who was Gaia to draw conclusions about her? "Are you going to tell the whole school that Miss Heather Gannis is a little fraidy-cat? Go on, ruin my life a little more. What's it to you? Or maybe you'll just tell Ed, so that he realizes what a sorry ass I am and goes running back to you? You'd like that, wouldn't you? Bitch." God, what was she doing? Where was her control? Why the _hell_ was she flying off her handle with Gaia _right there_?  
  
Gaia's blood started to boil. "Oh, I'm Heather Gannis, I have everything in the world, now feel bad for me," she mocked sarcastically. People who tried to make other people pity them made her sick. "Fuck you, Heather."  
  
"Oh, wow, that hurt. I think you killed me, Gaia. Somebody get me a fucking doctor, I think Gaia Moore broke my heart. How will I ever survive?"  
  
Heather stopped talking, and Gaia could have sworn that her eyes were filling up with tears. Who knew the girl was such a good actress? What was this about, anyway?  
  
_God, no, not now,_ Heather thought, as she broke Gaia's gaze and stared upwards, mentally ordering the tears to go back where they belonged. "Just go home, Gaia," she commanded harshly. "I give up. Just get out of here."  
  
This wasn't a game, Gaia realized, as Heather angrily brushed a tear away. The playing was over, and Heather was upset. For real. Was the world coming to an end?  
  
Gaia was staring at her. It was some kind of cruel joke--Gaia looking on when she was about to lose control of herself. Then again, it shouldn't have surprised her. Her whole fucking _life_ was a cruel joke. She forced her eyes back onto Gaia's and was shocked at the lack of callousness. It looked as if she almost cared.  
  
No, it wasn't a game at all. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. _Oh my God._ Should she have been afraid? Was Heather afraid?  
  
Without thinking, Heather moved in. Gaia's mouth caught her, and she almost pulled back in shock.  
  
And suddenly, miraculously, Gaia felt the other girl's lips dissolving into hers. Their tongues searched each other's mouths relentlessly, and, oh, God, what was she thinking?  
  
Gaia Moore. Wow. Not in her wildest dreams could Heather have imagined _this_. As the tears flowed freely, Heather let herself go and melted into the kiss.  
  
And somehow, at that second, the pain was gone. All the hurt that Gaia had carried around with her for five years and the added ones. Her mother's death, her father's abandonment, Mary's murder, Ella's death...and her newfound knowledge--that it was all her father's doing. It all flew out the window, and without it, she felt as light as a feather, as free as a bird. What was Heather doing to her?  
  
And Heather forgot everything that had been troubling her. Phoebe would recover, Ed would come to his senses, her parents would work out whatever was going on with their family, Sam would apologize. Everything was going to be all right. She opened her eyes for a second, and the light nearly blinded her.  
  
Suddenly, the kiss stopped abruptly. Heather had broken it off. Blinking, Gaia looked around. The rain was gone. The sky was a beautiful shade of auzure. And the pain was back. She stood up. "I have to go home," and turned to go.  
  
"I still hate you." Please look back. Come back. If she left now, this would all go to hell and become another dead memory. Heather didn't want that. She didn't know if she would be able to stand that.  
  
She didn't look back. If she looked back, she wouldn't be able to leave. "Ditto." She walked off, feeling Heather's eyes glued to her the whole time.  
  
Heather watched Gaia's lean figure fade into the distance. The agony came crashing back in waves, but she didn't cry. She was stronger now. She licked her lips, trying to imprint Gaia's taste on her brain. And then she got up to go back home.


End file.
